Lawmakers unveil $1.2 trillion government funding package ahead of shutdown deadline

Top lawmakers unveiled key government funding bills on Thursday, setting up a high-stakes sprint to pass the legislation as a shutdown deadline looms at the end of the week.

Lawmakers unveiled a $1.2 trillion government funding package on Thursday, setting up a high-stakes sprint to pass the legislation as a shutdown deadline looms at the end of the week. It’s not yet clear if lawmakers will be able to pass the legislation ahead of Friday’s deadline, raising concerns on Capitol Hill that there could be a short-term lapse in government funding over the weekend. With the release of the legislative text that’s more than 1,000 pages, the House and Senate are now facing a major time crunch to get the legislation across the finish line. A number of critical government operations need to be funded by the end of the day on Friday, March 22, including the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and the legislative branch. Top lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed the desire to avoid a partial shutdown, but there are challenges ahead. Under House GOP rules, leadership typically requires 72 hours for members to review bill text before a vote, though it’s possible the rule could be waived. In the Senate, agreement will be needed from all 100 senators to swiftly pass the legislation – and the objection of any one senator could derail a quick vote and delay the process. After months of averting shutdowns at the eleventh hour with stopgap bills, Congress passed a package of six bills in early March to fund a slate of government agencies for the rest of the fiscal year.